MANILA, Philippines — Small Business Corporation, the financing arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has partnered with ePLDT Inc. subsidiary Curo Teknika (CuroTek) to establish a customer service hotline for the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) Program.

In a statement, Small Business Corp. said the partnership with CuroTek is seen to better serve microentrepreneurs.

Under the partnership, Curo Teknika will provide SB Corp. with contact center solutions for the P3 Program from Mondays to Fridays, except holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The government is implementing the P3 Program to give microenterprises access to affordable financing.

The program is also in line with President Duterte’s directive to remove the “5-6” money lending system.

Under the P3 Program administered by SB Corp., a microenterprise can borrow P5,000 up to P200,000 depending on its business need and repayment capacity without collateral.

For the loans, the interest rate and service fees are capped at 2.5 percent per month.

With the partnership with CuroTek in place, microenterprises who want to avail of loans under the P3 Program can do so by speaking with a contact center agent through the P3 Hotline 651-3333.

“This partnership affirms the commitment of the government to deliver financing to microenterprises that is much cheaper than 5-6 lending,” SB Corp. president and chief executive officer Ma. Luna Cacanando said.

As the P3 Program is now in full swing, she said there is a need for SB Corp. to have a system in place wherein microenterprises can inquire and get answers immediately.

The P3 Program now has nearly 300 conduits and more than 60,000 microborrowers. (Published April 4, 2019)